Device for indicating contents of freight cars



April 8, 1952 w. H. JOYNER 2,592,289

DEVICE FOR INDICATING CONTENTS OF FREIGHT CARS Filed June 2, 1949 EXPLOSIVES HANDLE CAREFULLY 1Q I 3 KEEP FIRE AWAY LIGHTS AND FIRES AWAY DANGEROUS HANDLE CA-REFULLY IN VENTOR.

ATTEI R N EYS Patented Apr. 8, 1952 DEVICE FOR INDICATING CONTENTS or FREIGHT CARS William H. Joyner, Atlanta, Ga.

Application June 2, 1949, Serial No. 96,672

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an indicating device, and more particularly to a placard for a railway freight car.

When railway box and tank cars are loaded with explosives and other dangerous articles, Federal regulations require that such cars containing these dangerous articles must be placarded with four (4) carboard cards designating the type of dangerous article therein. The present invention is directed to an indicating device which is adapted to Ice-attached to box cars and tank cars which are used for carrying gasoline, poisonous gases, explosives and the like to thereby eliminate the necessity of the railroad company buying and stocking a great number of these cardboard cards. Further, the indicating device of the present invention will eliminate the need of purchasing thousands of pounds of special tacks for fastening these cards to the railway cars and also the labor cost of nailing and removing these cards will be eliminated. In addition, the automatic indicating device can be readily installed on new railway cars as they are produced by the manufacturer.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a holder for attachment to freight cars and which carries a plurality of cautionary signs or placards, any one of which may be displayed and locked in displayed position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an indicating device which includes a holder that carries a plurality of cautionary signs or placards, the holder serving to protect the placardsfrom adverse weather conditions when the placards are not being displayed, and wherein a portion of the holder provides a brace for maintaining one of the placards in exhibiting position.

A further object of the invention is to provide an indicating device for railway cars which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following descriptionv In the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a freight car provided with the indicating device thereon, according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the indicating device with all of the cautionary placards in the casing or holder;

' Figure 3 is a top plan view of the indicating device, with one of the placards in exhibiting or displayed position;

2 Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the indicating device, with the parts thereof in the position of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the indicating device, with a different placard being displayed.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral Hi designates a railway box or freight car which is provided with the usual sliding'door H. The present invention is directed to a device for indicating the contents of such a car when such a car is carrying dangerous materials, such as explosives, gasoline, or poisonous gases. Although the indicating device has been shown arranged on the sliding door H of a box car i9,

it is to be understood that the indicating device may also be mounted on the ends of the freight car, and further, the indicating device is equally suitable for use on tank cars.

The indicating device comprises a holder or casing 12 which is preferably fabricated of suitable metal and is secured to the door I I by means of a plurality of securing elements, such as bolts 3. The bolts l3 project through the holder [2 and into the freight car In, there being nuts I4 arranged in threaded engagement with the bolts [3 for maintaining the holder I2 in position on the railway car. The casing I2 is hollow and is adapted to contain or hold a plurality of cautionary placards or signs I5, IS, IT and I8, the placards each having difierent letterings thereon to be used according to the articles being carried in the railway car.

Each of the cautionary placards or signs l5, I6, I l and i8 is provided with a projecting apertured ear l9, and the bolt l3 projects through the casing I2, through the apertured ears H) of the placards and into the railway car to thereby provide a pivotal connection for the placards.

The casing l 2 is provided with an open top and a cover or lid 20 is hingedly connected to the easing 12 by means of a pair of hinges 2| and 22. The hinges 2| and 22 are of the spring type so that the cover 20 is normally urged into a closed position with respect to the open top of the casing l2.

The cover 20 is provided with a projecting lip or flange 23 which coacts with the bracket 24 to maintain one of the placards or signs in displayed or exhibiting position. The bracket 24 is spaced from the casing l2 and the bracket 24 is secured to the railway car by means of a plurality of securing elements, such as screws 25.

Thus, when the placard is being displayed, the

3 bracket 24 receives the lower right corner thereof and the flange 23 abuts the left vertical edge of the placard so that the placard is maintained immobile in its exhibiting position.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that a device has been provided which will indicate the contents of freight or tank cars. Thus, if the freight car I is carrying dangerous articles which require care in the handling thereof, the placard I! is displayed as shown in Figure 4. This is accomplished by opening the cover 20 on the casing I2, pivoting the placard ll out of the casing 12 and then closing the cover 20. The placard I! will be maintained in its displayed position by means of the flange 23 and bracket 24. Likewise, any of the other placards can be removed from the casing l2 and exhibited, as for example, the explosive indicating placard, shown in Figure 6. When the placards are not being displayed, the casing l2 serves to protect the placards from dirt and adverse weather condition.

Thus, by using the indicating device of the present invention there will be a compliance with the Federal regulations which require that cars carrying dangerous articles must be placarded to indicate or designate the type of dangerous article therein. Further, the cost of purchasing tacks, cardboard cards and the cost of installing such cards is greatly reduced. The holder or casing 12 is preferably made of thick steel which is stamped to provide the various parts thereof. The placards I5, I6, I! and 18 are preferably made of relatively thin steel and may be lettered or stencilled as desired. The bolts l3 can be readily removed whereby the casing I2 can be disassembled or taken off the railway cars in the event that the placards are to be restencilled or in the event that additional signs or placards are to be used in the indicating device.

What I claim:

1. In a device for indicating the contents of railway cars, a casing, bolts passing through said casing to secure said casing to said car a plurality of placards, each of said placards having an apertured ear which is mounted on one of said bolts for pivoted movement into and out of said casing, a cover provided with a flange and hingedly connected to said casing, and a bracket spaced from said casing and secured to said car, said flange engaging an edge of the exposed placard near the ear of the placard and said bracket engaging the corner of one of said placards opposite to the apertured ear to support said placard in exhibiting position.

2. In a device for indicating the contents of railway cars, an open topped casing, a bolt passing through each corner of the casing to secure said casing to said car, a plurality of cautionary placards, each of said placards having an apertured ear which is mounted on one of said bolts for pivotal movement into and out of the open top of said casing, a cover hingedly connected to the top of said casing, a bracket spaced from said casing and secured to said car, and a flange projecting from said cover and engaging an edge of the exposed placard near the ear of the placard and saidbracket engaging the end of one of said placards opposite to the apertured ear to maintain said placard in exhibiting position.

WILLIAM H. JOYNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 490,687 Smith Jan. 31, 1893 1,990,019 Blackwood Feb. 5, 1935 2,160,544 Hector May 30, 1939 

